Military Vehicle Spotlight: WWII WC-54 Dodge Ambulance
WWII WC-54 Dodge Ambulance
Photographed at WWII Days, Rockford, Illinois, by John Adams-Graf
G-502 Dodge 3/4-ton Ambulance
- Net Weight: 5,920 lbs.
- Gross Weight: 7,720 lbs.
- Engine: Dodge T-214 6-Cylinder
- Displacement: 230.2 cu. in.
- Fuel: Gasoline
- Horsepower: 76 @ 3,200 rpm
- Maximum Speed: 54 mph
- Maximum Range: 240 miles
HISTORICAL NOTE:
Dodge delivered 22,857 WC-54 to the U.S. military between 1942 and 1945. The WC-54 was the main U.S. Army ambulance vehicle used during WWII. Some were still in service with the U.S. Medical Corps during the Korean War while and others served as late as the 1960s in the armies of some European countries.
The closed sheet-metal body was made by Wayne Body works. It had room for a driver and four to seven patients plus a medic. If the fold-away bunk stretchers were used, four patients could be transported lying down.
Virtually unchanged throughout its life, apart from minor technical tweaks, it was later turned into a knockdown version, known as WC-64. The redesign allowed vehicles to be shipped at the same time.
